One or more aspects of this invention generally relate to a method of manufacturing a fuel cell.
In general, a fuel cell is a device that obtains electrical power from fuel, hydrogen and oxygen. Fuel cells are being widely developed as an energy supply system because fuel cells are environmentally superior and can achieve high energy efficiency.
There are some types of fuel cells including a solid electrolyte such as a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, a solid-oxide fuel cell, and a hydrogen permeable membrane fuel cell (HMFC). Here, the hydrogen permeable membrane fuel cell has a dense hydrogen permeable membrane. The dense hydrogen permeable membrane is composed of a metal having hydrogen permeability, and acts as an anode. The hydrogen permeable membrane fuel cell has a structure in which a solid electrolyte having proton conductivity is deposited on the hydrogen permeable membrane. Some hydrogen provided to the hydrogen permeable membrane is converted into protons. The protons are conducted in the electrolyte having proton conductivity and react with oxygen provided to a cathode. Electrical power is thus generated.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-146337, for example, proposes a method of forming a proton-conductive-electrolyte layer on a substrate of dense metal having hydrogen permeability. According to the method, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the electrolyte layer.
However, it is possible that a boundary separation between the electrolyte layer and the substrate occurs because of an uneven surface of the substrate.
Various aspects of this invention have been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances. One or more aspects of the invention provide a method of manufacturing a fuel cell in which a boundary separation between a solid electrolyte layer having proton conductivity and a metal substrate having hydrogen permeability is limited.